Former Partizan footballer Dzevad Prekazi dies

Former Partizan footballer and Yugoslav football legend Dzevad Prekazi has died at the age of 69.

The former Partizan star died today at his apartment in Belgrade, Sportal has confirmed. The cause of death is not yet known. Prekazi suffered a stroke in 2023 and made a successful recovery, but suffered another stroke last year, which left lasting effects.

He was born in Kosovska Mitrovica in 1957 and began his career with Remont Kosovska Mitrovica. In 1974, he joined the youth ranks of Partizan Football Club.

He made his senior debut in 1976 and spent the next seven years at Partizan, scoring 19 goals. He then spent one season with Hajduk Split before playing for the Baltimore Blast in the United States in 1985.

He returned to Europe the following year, joining Galatasaray, where he spent the next six seasons. Before bringing his distinguished playing career to an end, he also played for Altay and Bakirkoyspor. He concluded his professional career with Trudbenik in 1991.

Prekazi twice served as head coach of Zeleznik and also worked with youth players at OFK Beograd, Sindjelic and his beloved Partizan.

He won the Yugoslav championship three times with Partizan and the Yugoslav Cup with Hajduk Split.

He also enjoyed considerable success with Galatasaray, winning the Turkish league title twice.

In a 2024 interview with Kosovo Online, Prekazi said that sport and culture were bridges that brought people together rather than divided them. He expressed optimism that Serbia and Albania’s joint organization of the 2027 UEFA European Under-21 Championship would help bring Serbs and Albanians closer together, as well as the peoples of the Western Balkans more broadly.

As he said at the time, in sport it should not matter who someone is, what they are or where they come from.

In a 2022 interview with Kosovo Online, Prekazi spoke about his football career, his beginnings in Mitrovica, his move to Partizan, his time with Hajduk Split and the period he spent playing for Galatasaray in Istanbul.